US20180106527A1 - No-frost refrigeration appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A no-frost refrigeration appliance has an interior which is divided by a partition into an evaporator chamber and a storage chamber. The evaporator chamber accommodates an evaporator and a defrost heater. The storage chamber is cooled by the evaporator chamber. The partition and the evaporator are mutually independently attached to walls of the interior. The defrost heater is not connected to the evaporator and is fastened to the partition.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
• This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of Germanpatent application DE 10 2016 220 464.5, filed Oct. 19, 2016; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the Invention
• The present invention relates to a no-frost refrigeration appliance with an interior that is divided by a partition into an accommodating evaporator chamber and a storage chamber cooled by the evaporator chamber. The evaporator chamber of such a refrigeration appliance generally also contains, in addition to the evaporator, a defrost heater which serves to defrost the evaporator. The evaporator is fixedly brazed into a refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration appliance and is virtually impossible to remove from the finished refrigeration appliance at reasonable cost without destroying it. Repairs have therefore to be carried out in such a way that the evaporator can remain in place.
• According to a conventional technique, the defrost heater is fastened to the evaporator with the assistance of plate-shaped holders that are formed with a plurality of holes, the defrost heater being inserted into one of the holes and another hole being pushed onto a tube loop projecting laterally from the evaporator. These holders permit convenient preassembly of the defrost heater to the evaporator, before they are together fitted into the interior of the refrigeration appliance. The defrost heater can be removed for repair purposes by pushing the holder down off the tube loop, but removal and in particular refitting are troublesome, since the evaporator is generally located on a poorly accessible rear wall of the interior and a side wall immediately adjacent to the tube loop obstructs reinsertion of the holder onto the tube loop.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a refrigeration appliance which overcomes the above-mentioned and other disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and in which repairs to the evaporator chamber can be carried out quickly and simply.
• With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a no-frost refrigeration appliance, comprising:
• a partition dividing an interior of the refrigeration appliance into an evaporator chamber and a storage chamber;
• an evaporator for cooling said storage chamber and a defrost heater disposed in said evaporator chamber;
• said partition and said evaporator being attached to walls of the interior independently of one another; and
• wherein said defrost heater is fastened to said partition and is not directly connected to said evaporator.
• In other words, the objects of the invention are achieved in a no-frost refrigeration appliance with an interior which is divided by a partition into an evaporator chamber, which accommodates an evaporator and a defrost heater, and a storage chamber cooled by the evaporator chamber, the partition and the evaporator being mutually independently attached to walls of the interior, by the defrost heater not being connected to the evaporator and instead being fastened to the partition. Thanks to the possibility of premounting the defrost heater and partition outside the refrigeration appliance, the number of assemblies to be mounted in the interior and of operations which have to be carried out in the interior during assembly are not increased; insertion of the evaporator into the refrigerant circuit can even be simplified, since this can proceed prior to fitting the defrost heater and consequently without any obstruction by the latter.
• The advantages of the invention are particularly effective in a refrigeration appliance in which the evaporator rests against a rear wall of the interior and against the partition which is opposite the rear wall and the defrost heater is arranged below the evaporator. This invention is, however, also applicable to a refrigeration appliance in which the evaporator is mounted below a ceiling of the interior and the partition and defrost heater extend below the evaporator.
• In order to permit rapid assembly of partition and defrost heater into an assembly, a channel can be formed on the partition and the defrost heater fastened to the partition via a holder which is displaceably guided in the channel in a direction parallel to a main surface of the partition.
• In order to fix the defrost heater to the partition, in particular in order to mark the position which must be adopted by the defrost heater on the partition for it to be correctly positioned relative to the evaporator once fitted in the interior, at least one latching recess may be formed on a wall of the channel, and the holder may comprise a latching projection which engages in the latching recess.
• Such a channel can be formed simply and inexpensively, in particular on a partition injection molded from plastics, by forming protruding hooks on a main surface of the partition, such that a tongue of the holder rests against the main surface between the hooks and the hooks grip around the tongue on two edges parallel to the direction of displacement.
• The latching recess may then in particular be a cutout or a hole in the part of the main surface located between the hooks.
• In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the holder is formed in one piece from a flat material, preferably from sheet metal.
• In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the latching projection can be embossed in the flat material.
• In a manner known per se, the holder may comprise a carrier plate with a hole into which the defrost heater is inserted. So that the tongue of the holder can engage compactly between the evaporator and the partition, the tongue and the carrier plate should lie in planes which intersect along a plane parallel to the direction of displacement of the holder.
• For the purpose of saving space, it is furthermore of assistance for the tongue and the carrier plate not to be connected directly via an edge parallel to the direction of displacement, but instead indirectly via an intermediate plate which is bent out from an edge of the tongue oriented transversely of the direction of displacement.
• A temperature sensor, which allows the defrost heater to be switched off in the event of overheating, in particular a thermal fuse, may be mounted on the holder, preferably on the above-mentioned intermediate plate thereof.
• Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
• Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a no-frost refrigeration appliance, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
• The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
• FIG. 1 shows a schematic section through a refrigeration appliance according to the invention;
• FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a defrost heater, a partition and two holders to be mounted on the partition;
• FIG. 3 shows the partition with mounted holders;
• FIG. 4 shows a section through a lower part of the partition and one of the holders mounted thereon;
• FIG. 5 shows the partition with the defrost heater inserted into the holder; and
• FIG. 6 shows the assembly formed by partition, holder and defrost heater placed on the evaporator.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, toFIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a schematic section through a housing box1 (also referred to as a carcass1) of a domestic refrigeration appliance taken along a section plane extending vertically and in the depth direction. An interior2 of the housing box1 is defined by aninner liner3 thermoformed in one piece from plastics. Apartition4 suspended on side walls of theinner liner3 subdivides the interior2 into astorage chamber5 and an evaporator chamber6. Anevaporator7 is mounted in the evaporator chamber6. Slats of theevaporator7 extend parallel to the section plane, such that air can circulate between them in the vertical direction, and they rest each with a longitudinal edge against arear wall8 of the inner liner or against thepartition4. The evaporator chamber6 andstorage chamber5 communicate via twopassages9,10 in thepartition4. Afan11 is arranged at one of these to drive air circulation through the evaporator chamber6 and air exchange with thestorage chamber5.
• Below theevaporator7, adefrost heater31 is mounted in the evaporator chamber6 in order to defrost theevaporator7 as required. In theinner liner3, below thedefrost heater31, there is acondensate drain groove13 recessed at the bottom of therear wall8. From a lowest point of thecondensate drain groove13, adrain line14 extends through a thermal insulation layer of the housing box1 to an evaporation pan15 which, in a manner known per se, is mounted in amachine compartment16 in thermal contact with a compressor17 accommodated therein.
• FIG. 2 shows thepartition4 in a perspective view, wherein, in the completely mounted refrigeration appliance, themain surface18 thereof which faces the evaporator chamber is facing towards the observer in the view of FIG.2. Thepartition4 is a substantially rectangular plate. Thecircular passage9 located in the upper part of thepartition4 and which accommodates thefan11 is shown only in part. Thepassage10 is an open-edged cutout at a lower edge of thepartition4.
• In the lower part of thepartition4, themain surface18 is planar with the exception oflatching recesses19, here two on each side of thepassage10, and ofhooks20,21 which are grouped around thelatching recesses19, in order to form in each case a downwardlyopen channel22 into which aflat tongue23 of aholder24,25, which is shaped from a sheet metal blank and described below in greater detail, can be inserted. Thehooks20 extend in a vertical direction and define thechannel22 in the lateral direction; together with thesurface18, they in each case form mutually facing grooves which accommodate the lateral edges of thetongue23; thehook21 at the upper end of thechannel22 forms a limit stop which upwardly limits the freedom of movement of thetongue23.
• A plurality ofprotrusions26 are embossed in thetongue23 and formlatching projections27 on the side remote from the observer (seeFIG. 4). By engaging in thelatching recesses19, these define a target position up to which thetongues23 are to be inserted into thechannels19.
• Anintermediate plate28 is bent out at alower edge39 of thetongue23. A crease zone betweentongue23 andintermediate plate28 extends transversely of the direction of displacement of thetongues23 in thechannels19; it may, as in the case of theholder25, be oriented orthogonally to the direction of displacement or, as in the case ofholder24, be oriented at an angle differing from a right angle, such that theintermediate plate28 slopes towards thepassage10.
• Acarrier plate29 is in each case bent out at an edge of theintermediate plates28 of the twoholders24,25 which faces thepassage10. A large-area hole30 is punched out of each of thecarrier plates29, the hole being provided for insertion of adefrost heater31. Thecarrier plate29 andtongue23 of the holder extend in mutually orthogonal planes which intersect along a line which approximately coincides with one of the twolongitudinal edges40 of thetongue23.
• At the edge of anintermediate plate28 remote from thepassage10, at least one hook or aclip32 is formed which is provided to clamp atemperature sensor33 firmly against theintermediate plate28. Thetemperature sensor33 here acts as a thermal fuse which turns off thedefrost heater31 in the event of an upper temperature limit being exceeded.
• InFIG. 3, theholders24,25 are mounted on the partition. Thetongues23 thereof are inserted into thechannels22 of thepartition4 and, as is apparent inFIG. 4 from a longitudinal section through thetongue23 of theholder24, the latchingprojections27 engage into the latching recesses19 of thepartition4. The latchingprojections27 could be cut away from thetongues23 in order to facilitate resilient yielding, but in the case shown here are instead materially bonded all around with thetongue23, in order to create continuous transitions to the surroundingtongue23 which are free of sharp edges on both the upper and the lower edges of the latchingprojections27 which allow thetongue23 to be inserted into and withdrawn from thechannel19 by applying an approximately identical force. The elastic deformation which is required for the latchingprojections27 to reach the latching recesses19 and leave them again here occurs on sides of thepartition4, in particular in thesurfaces34 thereof extending between the mutually opposing hooks20.
• As shown inFIG. 4, thepartition4 is of two-layer construction, with aninner layer35 facing the evaporator chamber6 and anouter layer36 facing thestorage chamber5. It is accordingly possible to punch the latching recesses19 as holes in theinner layer35 while presenting the user with anouter layer36 with a regular surface without holes.
• If desired, the thickness of theinner layer35 may be reduced in the region of thechannel19 in order to createcavities37 into which thewall face34 can be deflected under the pressure of the latchingprojections27 during insertion or withdrawal of thetongue23.
• As shown inFIG. 5, thedefrost heater31 is also inserted into theholes30 of theholders24,25. Theresultant assembly38 is mounted in theinner liner3 after theevaporator7.FIG. 6 shows the consequent arrangement of theassembly38 relative to theevaporator7 in a view from the same perspective as that inFIGS. 2, 3 and 5. Thetongues23 of theholders24,25 find space in a narrow gap between thepartition4 and theevaporator7, such that theintermediate plates28 come to rest directly below theevaporator7 and thedefrost heater31 is also closely adjacent theevaporator7 and is capable of heating the latter efficiently.
• If thepartition4 has to be removed for repair purposes, the remaining components of theassembly38 are removed therewith from the interior. Thedefrost heater31, thetemperature sensor33 and the fan are thus freely accessible from all sides and can be conveniently examined and, if necessary, repaired or replaced.
• The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention:
• 1 housing box, carcass
• 2 Interior
• 3 Inner liner
• 4 Partition
• 5 Storage chamber
• 6 Evaporator chamber
• 7 Evaporator
• 8 Rear wall
• 9 Passage
• 9 Passage
• 11 Fan
• 13 Condensate drain groove
• 14 Drain line
• 15 Evaporation pan
• 16 Machine compartment
• 17 Compressor
• 18 Main surface
• 19 Latching recess
• 20 Hook
• 21 Hook
• 22 Channel
• 23 Tongue
• 24 Holder
• 25 Holder
• 26 Protrusion
• 27 Latching projection
• 28 Intermediate plate
• 29 Carrier plate
• 30 Hole
• 31 Defrost heater
• 32 Clip
• 33 Temperature sensor
• 34 Surface
• 35 Inner layer
• 36 Outer layer
• 37 Cavity
• 38 Assembly
• 39 Lower edge
• 40 Longitudinal edge

Claims (11)

1. A no-frost refrigeration appliance, comprising:

a partition dividing an interior of the refrigeration appliance into an evaporator chamber and a storage chamber;

an evaporator for cooling said storage chamber and a defrost heater disposed in said evaporator chamber;

said partition and said evaporator being attached to walls of the interior independently of one another; and

wherein said defrost heater is fastened to said partition and is not directly connected to said evaporator.

2. The no-frost refrigeration appliance according toclaim 1, wherein said evaporator rests against a rear wall of the interior and against said partition which is opposite the rear wall and said defrost heater is arranged below said evaporator.

3. The no-frost refrigeration appliance according toclaim 1, wherein a channel is formed on said partition and said defrost heater is fastened to said partition via a holder that is displaceably guided in said channel in a direction parallel to a main surface of said partition.

4. The no-frost refrigeration appliance according toclaim 3, wherein at least one latching recess is formed on a wall of said channel and said holder has a latching projection configured to engage in said latching recess.

5. The no-frost refrigeration appliance according toclaim 3, wherein said channel is defined by a main surface of said partition and by hooks protruding out from the main surface which grip around a tongue of said holder on two edges parallel to the direction of displacement.

6. The no-frost refrigeration appliance according toclaim 3, wherein said holder is formed in one piece from flat material.

7. The no-frost refrigeration appliance according toclaim 6, wherein said holder is formed in one piece from sheet metal.

8. The no-frost refrigeration appliance according toclaim 6, wherein the latching projection is embossed in the flat material.

9. The no-frost refrigeration appliance according toclaim 6, wherein said holder is formed with a tongue, which engages between said evaporator and said partition, and a carrier plate, wherein said defrost heater is inserted into a hole formed in said carrier plate and said tongue and said carrier plate lie in planes which intersect along a line parallel to a direction of displacement of said holder.

10. The no-frost refrigeration appliance according toclaim 9, which comprises an intermediate plate which is bent out from an edge of said tongue oriented transversely of the direction of displacement, and wherein said tongue and said carrier plate are connected via said intermediate plate.

11. The no-frost refrigeration appliance according toclaim 3, which comprises a temperature sensor mounted on said holder.

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